Former Rep. Dan Mica (D-Fla.) linked his credit union association with Homes for Our Troops, an organization that helps veterans, and set out to build a new home in each convention city for the family of a disabled veteran. (Photo courtesy the Credit Union National Association)

Big cash carries no convention clout

In the old days, a million-dollar donation to one of the national parties’ conventions would get a shout-out, or at least a few private minutes with a lawmaker or two.

These days, it’s not such a sure bet.

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Multimillion-dollar gifts are increasingly the norm as the price of convention partying skyrockets and celebrity-studded soirées are becoming so much cooler than cash.

All parties come with strings, or at least their sponsors hope so. In a new report to be released Wednesday, the Campaign Finance Institute and Center for Responsive Politics will detail how the two conventions’ 173 organizational donors have spent $1.5 billion on federal political contributions and lobbying expenditures since the 2004 presidential election. Three groups, hailing from distinctive corners of the vast advocacy world that dominates Washington, are trying some new approaches to capturing the notice of a few wavering lawmakers or impressionable senior aides as they race from banquet spread to open bar during the Democratic convention next week in Denver and the Republican gathering in St. Paul, Minn., the following week.

Tactic One: Ignore them.

Playing hard to get is as old as Cleopatra — and it still works.

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Van Scoyoc Associates and Cassidy and Associates are two of the largest lobbying shops in Washington, with combined earnings of more than $12 million from clients with interests on Capitol Hill. And the firms have also been mainstays at convention events in previous cycles.

But this year, with tighter ethics rules and already crowded convention calendars, the Van Scoyocs and the Cassidies decided to keep their firms’ logos at home.

Individual lobbyists may still find their way into a convention reception or two.

Still, these were shocking decisions here in Washington, which is expected to airlift much of its population to Denver and St. Paul in the next two weeks. (Tourist tip: No waiting for taxis back in Washington.)

The lobbying shops’ impudence prompted instant headlines on Capitol Hill, a quick background investigation by the Center for Responsible Politics and a No. 1 ranking on new tactics right here in Pit Boss.

“This has been truly amazing,” said H. Stewart Van Scoyoc. “It all started with a hallway conversation with our press person. He grabbed me in the hall and said, ‘Somebody wants to talk to you about our plans for the convention.’ I said to him, ‘I don’t want to talk to anybody; we aren’t going to the convention.’ That ended up being a headline.”

Van Scoyoc didn’t mind, though. With lobbyists in the doghouse these days, convention events carry more risks than ever.

“This has been the best free publicity we ever received,” he concluded, “and it didn’t cost us anything.”

Tactic Two: Dare to go where you’re least expected.

The Democrats are mighty proud of the “greening” of their convention. Recycling will be celebrated, as will bicycling and a whole host of other environmentally sound practices.

Amid the glow from all that global warming warfare enters the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. Yep, those fellows have got guts.

The coal coalition, a nemesis to many environmentalists, plans to spend $2 million on advertising in and around the Denver convention venues, promoting the virtues of clean coal.

It will also be doing “experiential advertising,” meaning the group will put people on the streets to actually talk to conventioneers about the role coal could play in future energy policy.